Irish History
And
The Fighting Irish
And
The Fighting Irish
( The English Invasion )
After
a time Milo de Cogan and Robert Fitz Stephen won territory for themselves in Munster.
John de Courcy won the ancient territory of Ulster-Down and Antrim, and established himself at Downpatrick. Cardinal Vivian, the Pope's legate, saw de Courcy, in his entrance thereto, slaughtering the people on the street.
Connaught ( despite the Treaty of Windsor ) was granted to De Burgho ( Burke ). But it was a long time, after it was granted to him before he was enabled - with the help of some of Connaught's own - to find a foothold there.
Prince John whom Henry had appointed Lord of Ireland, came over in 1185, when he was nineteen years of age, and made himself most beneficial to the country by reason that he, with the crowd of young libertines who formed his court, made mock of and insulted such Irish Chieftains as hastened to pay him homage. His attitude and actions during the short time he was permitted to remain in the country were providing splendidly disasrous to English prospects there and magnificently helpful to the Irish.
Only a few years later John de Courcy, the conqueror of Ulster, and a very strong figure among the Normans was overwhelmingly defeated in an attempt to conquer Connaught, and his army almost annihilated. And the Irish princes had recovered enough pride and national spirit to form a compact front, under Connor of Maenmagh, son of Roderick, for driving out the English., which might now have been accomplished. But before their plans were perfected Connor was slain, and the growing unity of the clans dissolved. Indeed had they at any time after Henry's leaving been able to combine and strike together, the English despite the great advantage of discipline, skill and equipment could have been driven into the sea. The key of the arch, however, which should have been the strongest stone was the weakest - and ever ready to crumble. This was the Ard-Righ Roderick, who not only lost Ireland but also lost Connaught. His own sons warred against him and warred against one another as well. He was deposed, exiled, recalled, travelled, a kind of royal beggar, to princes who had been tributary to him, entreating them to put him on the throne again. With an Ard-Righ thus disobeyed and disrespected by his own, and his kingdom, which should have been the dominant one, warring within itself, the fates were with the foreigner, and they precariously held their own in the east, occasionally making effective plunges into the independent provinces that surrounded them, and occasionally too having their own insecure possessions lunged into by the Irish enemy.
The English royal house was in worse condition even than the Irish royal house. Henry died cursing his sons, and his sons may be said to have lived and died cursing one another. John, who had essayed to oust his worthier brother Richard - while the latter was on the Crusade - and also while he was languishing in a German prison, began to reign over England in the last year of the twelfth century, very shortly after Donal MacCarthy of Desmond
defeated the English of Munster and drove them out of Limerick. The great northern prince, Flaherty O'Muldory of Tir Conaill, had just passed away. And also just then had passed unfortunate Roderick O'Connor, who died where he had spent his last days, in the Abbey of Cong in Mayo, and was bueried in the ancient cemetary of Clonmacnois.
Connaught ( despite the Treaty of Windsor ) was granted to De Burgho ( Burke ). But it was a long time, after it was granted to him before he was enabled - with the help of some of Connaught's own - to find a foothold there.
Prince John whom Henry had appointed Lord of Ireland, came over in 1185, when he was nineteen years of age, and made himself most beneficial to the country by reason that he, with the crowd of young libertines who formed his court, made mock of and insulted such Irish Chieftains as hastened to pay him homage. His attitude and actions during the short time he was permitted to remain in the country were providing splendidly disasrous to English prospects there and magnificently helpful to the Irish.
Only a few years later John de Courcy, the conqueror of Ulster, and a very strong figure among the Normans was overwhelmingly defeated in an attempt to conquer Connaught, and his army almost annihilated. And the Irish princes had recovered enough pride and national spirit to form a compact front, under Connor of Maenmagh, son of Roderick, for driving out the English., which might now have been accomplished. But before their plans were perfected Connor was slain, and the growing unity of the clans dissolved. Indeed had they at any time after Henry's leaving been able to combine and strike together, the English despite the great advantage of discipline, skill and equipment could have been driven into the sea. The key of the arch, however, which should have been the strongest stone was the weakest - and ever ready to crumble. This was the Ard-Righ Roderick, who not only lost Ireland but also lost Connaught. His own sons warred against him and warred against one another as well. He was deposed, exiled, recalled, travelled, a kind of royal beggar, to princes who had been tributary to him, entreating them to put him on the throne again. With an Ard-Righ thus disobeyed and disrespected by his own, and his kingdom, which should have been the dominant one, warring within itself, the fates were with the foreigner, and they precariously held their own in the east, occasionally making effective plunges into the independent provinces that surrounded them, and occasionally too having their own insecure possessions lunged into by the Irish enemy.
The English royal house was in worse condition even than the Irish royal house. Henry died cursing his sons, and his sons may be said to have lived and died cursing one another. John, who had essayed to oust his worthier brother Richard - while the latter was on the Crusade - and also while he was languishing in a German prison, began to reign over England in the last year of the twelfth century, very shortly after Donal MacCarthy of Desmond
defeated the English of Munster and drove them out of Limerick. The great northern prince, Flaherty O'Muldory of Tir Conaill, had just passed away. And also just then had passed unfortunate Roderick O'Connor, who died where he had spent his last days, in the Abbey of Cong in Mayo, and was bueried in the ancient cemetary of Clonmacnois.
The Abbey of Cong, in County Mayo
